Bitter Melon (Momordica Charantia)
Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia) Momordica charantia L., also known as Bitter gourd, is a flowering vine belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. This perennial climbing plant produces an elongated fruit that resembles a gourd or cucumber, leading to names like bitter gourd or bitter cucumber.
Historically, bitter melon has served dual roles as both a food source and a medicinal remedy. While not typically a dietary staple, it is consumed in some regions several times a week when in season. Traditionally, bitter melon has been used to address conditions such as elevated blood pressure, diabetes, diarrhea, fevers, fungal infections of the skin, gastrointestinal cramps, psoriasis, high cholesterol, hemorrhoids, glaucoma, and infertility. It has also been traditionally employed as an agent to induce abortion.
Key Components The specific active constituents of bitter melon are not definitively established. However, it is known that the plant contains various compounds, including alkaloids, glycosides, peptides, acids, cucurbitins, charantin, cucurbitacins, momordine, momorcharins, and proteins. It is believed that the primary compounds responsible for its blood sugar-lowering properties include charantin, an insulin-like peptide, cucurbutanoids, momordicin, and oleanolic acids.
Established Properties and Effects: Bitter melon has been documented to possess a wide range of properties and actions, including being an anthelmintic (expels worms), antibacterial, antibiotic, antidiabetic (lowers blood sugar), anti-inflammatory, antileukemic (inhibits leukemia), antimicrobial (fights microbes), antimutagenic (prevents mutations), antimycobacterial (fights mycobacteria), antioxidant, antitumor, antiulcer, antiviral, aperitive (stimulates appetite), aphrodisiac, astringent (contracts tissues), carminative (relieves gas), cytostatic (inhibits cell growth), cytotoxic (toxic to cells), depurative (purifies), hormonal, hypocholesterolemic (lowers cholesterol), hypotensive (lowers blood pressure), hypotriglyceridemic (lowers triglycerides), hypoglycemic (lowers blood glucose), immunostimulant, insecticidal, lactagogue (promotes milk flow), laxative, purgative (strong laxative), refrigerant (cooling), stomachic (aids digestion), styptic (stops bleeding), tonic (strengthens), and vermifuge (expels worms).
Clinical Investigation A clinical trial involving 9 individuals with type 1 diabetes in the treatment group and 10 individuals (some with type 1 and some with type 2 diabetes) in the placebo group found that injections of bitter melon extract, specifically isolated for its crystallized p-insulin, resulted in a statistically significant reduction in blood sugar levels. This effect was observed 30-60 minutes after subcutaneous injection, showing an average decrease of 21.5% from the initial glucose levels, with the peak effect occurring between 4-12 hours, and a 28% reduction after 12 hours. It is important to note that this study did not use randomization, and the placebo group had lower average fasting blood glucose levels at the start of the study compared to the treatment group, which may reduce the reliability of the results.
Available Product Specifications: 5% Total bitters
Product Information:
Botanical/ Scientific Name: Momordica charantia Identification Method: TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography) Heavy Metal Limits: Arsenic: Not more than 20 parts per million Lead: Not more than 1 part per million Microbiological Quality: As per JPN Food Regulation